Combined refrigerated self-service and storage cabinet



Aug. 31, 1965 H, ZASLOVSKY ETAL 3,203,197

COMBINED REFRIGERATED SELF-SERVICE AND STORAGE CABINET Filed July 20. 1964 3 Sheets-Sheet l l INVENTOR$ HERMA AS v HARRY s E I FI 1| 4 F4? ATTORNEY 1965 H. ZASLOVSKY ETAL 3,203,197

COMBINED REFRIGERATED SELF-SERVICE AND STORAGE CABINET Filed July 20, 1964 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 F 2 INVENTORS' HERMAN ZASLOVSKY HARRY ROSENFELD ATTORNEY 1965 H. ZASLOVSKY ETAL 3,203,197

COMBINED REFRIGERATED SELF-SERVIGE AND STORAGE CABINET 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed July 20, 1964 INVENTORQ HERMAN ZASLOVSKY HARRY ROSENFELD ATTORNEY readily accessible to the customer.

United States Patent 3,203,197 COMBINED REFRIGERATED SELF-SERVICE AND STORAGE CABINET Herman Zaslovslty, Massapequa, and Harry Rosenfeld, Long Beach, N.Y., assignors to Brook Koolair Corp., Huntington Station, Long Island, N.Y.

Filed July 20, 1964, Ser. No. 383,793 1 Claim. (Cl. 62-277) This invention relates to refrigerated cabinets and more particularly to a combination self-service and storage cabinet.

Self-service cabinets are characterized by an open front whereby the merchandise contained on shelves therein is It is essential that these cabinets be refrigerated when certain foodstuffs such as candies, for example, are to be marketed. One method of refrigeration employed in the prior art utilizes the air curtain effect wherein a layer of cold air covers the front opening.

In general, however, the prior art refrigerated self-service cabinets were relatively bulky in order to accommodate the refrigeration system and to provide the proper air circulation pattern. Inclusion of an additional refrigerated storage compartment only served to emphasize the size problem. It will be appreciated that in a supermarket, for example, floor space is at a premium and an effort must be made to most effectively utilize every available area.

Candy is very often bought on impulse so that it is desirable, in keeping with present marketing trends, to have the candy so located in the store that the buyer can readily see the merchandise and select it. This negates the possibility of using conventional storage cabinets.

The present invention provides a compact, refrigerated self-service cabinet that includes a refrigerated storage compartment. In addition to its utilitarian features, the cabinet is esthetically pleasing and may be positioned flush with a wall in the back in order to make the maximum and best usage of the floor space available. To appeal further to both the store owner and the customer, the hot air is exhausted upwardly at the rear of the cabinet. -By this means, a customer removing articles from the cabinet shelves is not subjected to a stream or blast of hot air.

Accordingly, it is an object of thisinvention to provide a compact, refrigerated, self-service cabinet.

Another object is to provide a compact self-service cabinet that utilizes the air curtain effect for refrigeration of the contents on the shelves thereof.

An additional object is to provide a combination refrigerated self-service and storage cabinet, the back portion of which may be installed flush against a wall.

A further object is to exhaust the hot air upwardly from the rear of the cabinet.

Another object is to provide a single centralized blower and diffusers whereby the cooled air is distributed throughout both the self-service portion and the storage portion of the refrigerated cabinet.

These and other features, objects and advantages of the invention will, in part, be pointed out with particularity and will, in part, become obvious from the following more detailed description of the invention, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, which forms an integral part thereof.

In the various figures of the drawing like reference characters designate like parts.

In the drawing:

FIG. 1 is a pictorial elevational view of the apparatus of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a sectional side elevational view taken along line 2-2 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a sectional side elevational view taken along line 33 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a sectional plan view taken along line 4-4 of FIG. 2; and

FIG. 5 is a sectional plan view taken along line 5-5 of FIG. 3.

Referring now to the drawing and particularly to FIG. 1, a cabinet which incorporates the features, advantages and structure of the present invention is generally designated as 10. In FIG. 1, it will be seen that shelves 12 are supported by knife edge type brackets 14 which are adustably secured to vertical standards 16. Vertical back wall 18 supports standards 16 so that the relative shelf position may be varied in a vertical plane.

Cabinet 10 further comprises a top wall 20, side walls 22 and 24 having glass panels 26 and 28, respectively, and a base member 30. The merchandise is displayed on the shelves and a reserve supply of merchandise is stored in the base, access to which is had by means of a hinged door 32 having integral sealing means. The lower por tion of side wall 22 also contains an air intake grill 34, the purpose of which will be discussed hereinafter. The selfservice portion of the cabinet is completed by fixed, horizontal shelf member 36, extending between the upright side walls and the rear wall.

A conventional, pressurized refrigeration system is contained within base member 30. Insulated chamber 40, disposed in base member 30 proximate side wall 22 and air intake grill 34 contains compressor 42, condenser coil 44 and a blower or fan 46. Insulated chamber 50, occupying the remainder of base member 30, contains the evaporator coil 52 and a second blower 54.

The compressed gas refrigerant from the compressor is delivered through suitable conduit to condenser coil 44 Where the state of the refrigerant is changed from a vapor to a liquid. Proximate this point, fan 46 draws in air through grill 34 and exhausts the heated air surrounding coil 44 from the cabinet. The liquid refrigerant from condenser coil 46 is then passed, by any suitable conduit, through evaporator coil 52 disposed in compartment 50. Blower 54 is employed to then move the cool air surround ing coil 52 throughout the cabinet. Condensate from the evaporator coil is fed by tube 56 to a heated drip pan 58 which evaporates the moisture into the air stream passing over the condenser coil when it is discharged into the at mosphere. After vaporization the refrigerant is returned, via suitable conduit, to the suction side of compressor 42 to complete the flow of the refrigerant. It is to be understood that a suit-able valve and thermostat may be interposed, at appropriate places, in the conduit system to control the cooling cycle.

For purposes of the explanation to follow, it will be considered that the cool air flow starts at a point proximate evaporator coil 52 and blower 54. In reality, of course, the cool air flow is continuous and without a discernable beginning or end.

Rear wall 60 of compartment 50 is provided with an opening 62 which communicates with a vertical, cool air passageway 64 defined by the rearward face of wall 18 and the inner face of the rear cabinet wall 66. A pair of vertically disposed air diffusers 68 are angularly positioned in passageway 64 confronting opening 62 (FIG. 4) and a second pair of horizontally disposed air diffusers 70 are secured at an angle to the rear surface of wall 18 (FIG. 2) in passageway 64 and extending substantially the entire width thereof. Cool air outlet slots 72 are also formed in wall 18, the slots being positioned directly below each of the diffusers 70.

Cool air is directed by blower 54 upward into passageway 64 as denoted by arrows a. A portion of the air stream is also deflected through slots 72 as denoted by 3 arrows b. It will be seen in FIG. 2 that air stream b covers the merchandise that would normally be disposed on shelves 112.

The upward air stream a in passageway 64 flows directly into contiguous duct 74 which is formed beneath and which extends from one side to the other of top Wall 20. Transverse opening 76 in duct 74 serves as the outlet port of the flow of cool air whereby an air curtain, denoted by air stream arrows c, is formed across the front opening of the cabinet. The air curtain c is directed into return air opening 78 formed along the front, top edge of fixed shelf 36, the opening being protected against the admission of unwanted particles by mesh screen 80. It will be seen in FIG. 2, FIG. 4 and FIG. 5, that the return air is directed back into the front portion of compartment 50 so that a closed air cycle is completed.

As described earlier in a general way, the heat extracted from condenser coil 44 is exhausted out of the cabinet by means of an air inflow denoted by arrows d in FIG. 5. The outside air is drawn inwardly through grill 34 by fan 46, passed over condenser coil 44 and directed into transverse duct 82 disposed vertically across the rearwardmost plane of the cabinet. Arrows e denote the upward and outward path of the hot air stream through transverse exit port 84. The hot air is exhausted immediately after formation and through a very short path to thereby maintain the integrity of the cold air stream.

It is to be understood that all walls separating compartments of different temperature air streams are fully insulated in conformity with good practices of the refrigeration industry. In a similar manner, all walls intermediate a cool air stream passageway or duct and the outside, ambient temperature air are also insulated.

It should also be understood that, while the refrigeration components are schematically illustrated, their relative positions with respect to each other and to the various chambers are substantially as shown. For example, drip pan 90 is suspended in a suitable floor opening by means of integral flanges 92. Compressor 42 is spacedly disposed directly above pan 90 whereby the heat produced by the compressor maintains the liquid in the pan at an elevated temperature. Liquid overflow from pan 90 is directed by apron 93 into heated pan 58 therebelow and it is then exhausted at the rear of the base of the cabinet through port 94. Thus the waste heat is utilized to preheat the water permitting the use of a relatively small heating element in pan 58 to dispose of relatively large quantities of liquid which collect on humid days when an open storage cabinet is used.

The apparatus hereinabove described and illustrated is of compact, relatively low cost construction. A practical combination of utility and pleasing appearance has been achieved. The self-service portion and the storage portion of the cabinet are both readily accessible to the customer and the merchandiser, respectively, yet both compartments are cooled by the same, continuously circulating cool air stream. The extracted heat is exhausted away from the customer and still the cabinet requires a minimum of floor space. The back of the cabinet may therefore be positioned flush against the wall. Furthermore, the hot air exhaust path, which is of minimal length, is kept separate and insulated from the cool air stream.

There has been disclosed heretofore the best embodiments of the invention presently contemplated and it is to be understood that various changes and modifications may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of the invention.

What is claimed is:

A combined, refrigerated self-service and storage cabinet comprising:

(A) an open fronted compartment comprised of spacedly opposed side walls, a rear wall, a top wall and a bottom surface, all of which, in combination, define a self-service, article-holding section;

(a) said rear wall being hollow to define a first air flow passageway extending thereacross;

(b) said rear wall having a plurality of apertures formed therein whereby said first air flow passageway communicates with said open fronted self-service section;

(B) a plurality of first baflle members disposed in said first passageway transversely of said cabinet in a horizontal plane and at an angle to the vertical plane of said rear Wall, said first bafile members being positioned proximate the apertures in said rear wall;

(C) a plurality of second baffie members disposed vertically in said first passageway at an angle to the plane of said rear wall;

(D) a second air passageway formed in said top wall;

(a) said second air passageway being contiguous with said first air passageway;

(b) said second air passageway terminating in an outlet port extending transversely across said cabinet whereby the air flowing through said first and second passageways is directed downwardly across the open front of said self-service section in the form of a curtain;

(E) a base member thermally insulated from and in Supporting relationship to said self-service station, said base member having:

(a) a first compartment provided with an apertured floor and an air intake port;

(b) a second compartment in communication with said first air passageway and said self-service section;

(c) both of said first and second compartments being thermally insulated from each other;

((1) said base member being spacedly supported above the ground level on which said cabinet is disposed;

(F) a vertical third air passageway in communication with said first compartment and the air outside of said cabinet;

(a) said third air passageway extending transversely across the rear of said cabinet behind said first air passageway; and

(G) refrigeration means contained in said base memher, said refrigeration means comprising:

(a) a condenser coil disposed in said first compartment proximate the air intake port;

(b) a fan positioned behind said condenser coil whereby outside air is drawn into said first compartment and over said condenser coil;

(c) a compressor spacedly mounted over the aperture in the floor of said first compartment;

((1) a first pan disposed in the aperture of the floor of said first compartment whereby liquid collected therein is heated by the heat generated by the operation of said compressor;

(e) a second, heated pan disposed below the floor of said first compartmeent and positioned to catch the overflow of said first pan;

(f) evaporator coils disposed in said second compartment proximate the point at which said second compartment communicates with said first air passageway; and

(g) a fan arranged to drive air over said evaporator coils and into said first air passageway.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,859,840 5/32 Phelps 62--455 2,031,550 2/36 Smilack 62275 2,626,508 1/53 Bently 62-256 2,669,850 2/54 Bishop 62256 2,737,029 3/56 Krasner 62-454 2,822,672 2/!58 Dickson 62256 ROBERT A. OLEARY, Primary Examiner.

WILLIAM J. WYE, Examiner. 

